Lay Leadership

New Governance Structure and Membership*

A community like ours—bold, diverse, ever evolving—deserves a leadership model that reflects who we are and where we’re going. That’s why, over the past two years, we’ve approached this work with deep intention: reimagining our governance model to reflect our values, our community and our future. This change is the result of careful listening, learning, and collaboration across our leadership and community—rooted in where we’ve been and designed for where we’re headed.

Here’s what’s new:

• A smaller, sharper Governing Board, focused on Federation’s strength and strategy, not rubber stamps.
• A new Community Leadership Council: a powerhouse group of 70–90 leaders, connectors, and changemakers bringing the voice of the community to the table.
• A renewed commitment to data-informed decision-making, gathering broad community insight, analyzing what we learn, and acting with clarity and purpose

*The membership of both the Transitional Governing Board and the Inaugural Community Leadership Council will be voted on at the Annual Meeting on June 12, 2025, and will become effective after the final bylaws vote by the Board of Directors on September 17, 2025.

2025-2026 Inaugural Community Leadership Council Members

Confirmed members as of 06.11.2025

Marla Schulman – Chair, Community Leadership Council
Linda Adams
Rise Ain
Sarah Barnett
Vivian Bass
Sarah Bederson
Gary Berman
Philip Blumenthal
Joshua Brown
Scott Brown
Johanna Chanin
Abby Cherner
Laura Cutler
Jeffrey Dannick
Rabbi Sholom Deitsch
Jeffrey Distenfeld
David Ervin
David Farber
Shai Fierst
Jeffrey Finkelstein
Julie Fisher
Daniel Flesch
Sharon Freundel

Zachary Friedlis
Robyn Garnett
Eric Goldberg
Havi Goldscher
Jill Granader
Ariela Greenberg
Amanda Herring
Robin Hettleman Weinberg
Daniel Hirsch
Rachel Hofstatter
Kerry Iris
Rabbi Brett Isserow
Marty Janis
Samuel Kaplan
Stuart Kaswell
Amanda Katz
Adena Kirstein
Jeffrey Kupfer
Brad Lackey
Amy Lancellotta
Rabbi Esther Lederman
Staci Eichelbaum Levine

Mark A. Levitt
Marc Levitt
Liza Levy
Laura Loeb
Mitchell Malasky
Rabbi Mitchel Malkus
Joshua Maxey
Alexandra Meyer
Rabbi Daniel Novick
Melanie Franco Nussdorf
Ellen Oshinsky
Ira Polon
Daniel Raskas
Deborah Ratner Salzberg
Rabbi Steven Rein
Shane Rock
Benjamin Rosenbaum
Ilana Rothberg
Jeffrey Rum
Ruth Ruskin
Todd Schenk
Janis Schiff 

Phil Schiff
Stacy Mensh Schlactus
Jacqueline Schultz
David Selden
Arnold Sherman
Jane Shichman
Lisa Silver
Craig Simon
Samantha Sisisky
Deborah Skolnick-Einhorn
Alexandra Stein
Bradley Stillman
Daniel Strouse
Avery Sudow
Danielle Traub
Annie Weinberg
David Wellisch
Jessika Wellisch
Natalie West
Tal Widdes
Jessie Heines Wolf
Naomi Yadin-Mendick
David Yaffe
Robert Zahler

2024-2025 Federation Executive Committee

Rise Ain
Linda Adams
Sarah Barnett^
Vivian Bass
Sarah Bederson
Kevin Berman^
A. Robert Bloom^
Dana Blumenfeld^
Philip Blumenthal
Daryle Bobb^
Josh Brown
Scott Brown
Johanna Chanin^
Laura Cutler
Rabbi Sholom B. Deitsch
Lisa Downing
Nancy Duber
Eli Engelbourg^
David Farber
Peter Federowicz^
Shai Fierst^
Jeffrey I. Finkelstein
Julie Fisher
Daniel Flesch
Esther Foer^
Sharon Freundel
Robyn B. Garnett
Eric Goldberg
Pamela Gottlieb
Ariela Greenberg
Daniel Hirsch
Rachel Hofstatter
Sarah Honigfeld^
Rabbi Brett Isserow^
Ronald Kaplan
Kavitha Kasargod-Staub
Julie Kass
Stuart Kaswell
Aaron M. Kaufman
Susan Kristol
Jeffrey Kupfer^
Amy Lancellotta^
Rabbi Esther Lederman
Joseph Levin-Manning
Henry Levine^

Dr. Marc A. Levitt
Guy Levy^
Laura Loeb
Oliver Macklin
Mitchell Malasky
Joshua Maxey
Louis Mayberg^
Riva Mirvis
Ayala Nuriely Kimel
Robert Parker
Ira Polon
Thorn Pozen^
Sharon Raphael^
Daniel Raskas
Rabbi Steven Rein
Scott Rosen^
Benjamin Rosenbaum
Ilana Rothberg
Jeffrey S. Rum
Ruth Z. Ruskin^
Heather Sachs^
Max Sandler
Yolanda Savage-Narva
Philip Schiff
Joseph Schmerling^
Jackie Schultz^
Rabbi Hyim Shafner
Jessica Sher
Arnie Sherman^
Jane Shichman
Lisa E. Silver
Craig Simon
Samantha Sisisky
Paul Springer^
Rabbi Alexandra Stein
Mindy Strelitz
Daniel Strouse^
Avery Sudow
Danielle Traub
Jessika Wellisch
Natalie West^ **
Tal Widdes
Naomi Yadin-Mendick
David Yaffe
Reuven Zakheim^
Rabbi Ilana Zietman^
Abe Zwany^

PAST PRESIDENTS
Dr. Seymour Alpert*
Paul S. Berger*
Gary Berman
Herschel W. Blumberg*
Rabbi Isadore Breslau*
Joel Breslau
David J. Butler
Morris Cafritz*
Joseph Cherner*
Melvin S. Cohen*
Jerome J. Dick*
Dede Feinberg
Leopold V. Freudberg*
Michael C. Gelman
Susie Gelman
Dr. Leon Gerber*
The Hon. Joseph B. Gildenhorn*
Hyman Goldman*
Edward H. Kaplan
Irene R. Kaplan
Samuel Kaplan
Edmund I. Kaufmann*
Joel S. Kaufmann*
Abraham S. Kay*
Jack Kay*
Stuart S. Kurlander
Jac J. Lehrman*
Mark A. Levitt
Liza Levy
Philip N. Margolius
Phyllis G. Margolius*
Joseph Ottenstein*
Morris Rodman*
Ivan Michael Schaeffer
Rabbi Matthew H. Simon*
Isador S. Turover*
Robert Zahler

PAST VICE PRESIDENTS OF FINANCIAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Joshua Bernstein
Marcella Cohen
Jeffrey Distenfeld
Neil Gurvitch
Robin Hettleman Weinberg
Mark Lezell
Jocelyn B. Krifcher
Alan L. Meltzer
Melanie Franco Nussdorf
Deborah Ratner Salzberg

HONORARY PRESIDENTS
N. M. Cohen*
Charles E. Smith* 

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS
Seymour S. Abensohn*
Norman Bernstein*
Dr. Morris Cohen
Richard England*
Saul I. Stern*
Bernard S. White* 

AGENCY EXECUTIVES**
Josh Bender
Jason N. Benkendorf
Rabbi Dr. Hillel Broder
Jeff Dannick
Glenn Easton
David Ervin
Havi Goldscher
Bea Gurwitz
Ronald J. Halber
Lianne Heller
Amanda Herring
Rabbi Ari Israel
Amanda Katz
Adena Kirstein
Bruce Lederman
Ariel Levinson-Waldman
Rabbi Shmuel Lichtenstein
Rabbi Mitchel Malkus
Rabbi Yitzchok Merkin
Rabbi Daniel Novick
Ellen Oshinsky
Shane Rock
Todd R. Schenk
Dr. Deborah Skolnick-Einhorn
Jody Tick
Aviva Walls
Annie Weinberg
Jennifer Zwilling 

^Partner Agency President
*Of Blessed Memory
**Non-voting Members